Herobrine's Shadow
by PyromancerDragonGirl
Summary: AnnikaCloud has lived in her village for two years without any problems, though she wishes for adventure. Suddenly, she is faced with a threat she never had imagined she would face: Herobrine. Her whole life is suddenly changed as she fights Herobrine and his army, and what she got was a little more than she bargained for. Rated T for MC violence and small amounts of romance.
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone and welcome to my first fanfiction! I have worked hard on this project and I really hope you enjoy reading it! Enter the world of Minecraft, into a village where everyone lives. Enter a place where there were no mobs...yet. :O Follows, favorites, and comments are much appreciated, and are also very helpful since this is my first published story and I'd really like to get some feedback. :)**

* * *

Prologue

Minecraftia Village has always been on peaceful. We live a fairly safe life in our world. Although my life is sometimes boring and repetitive, this place is my home and I never want to leave.

We are as safe as we could be. Our walls are secure, and we have none of the mobs the ancient books speak of. Our ancestors found a way to stop them from coming, a story which has been told for many generations. Now, we only battle hunger and fall damage.

I didn't know all this history of the village 24 moon cycles ago. That was my SpawnDay, the day where I entered this world for the first time. The place immediately looked inviting, and I couldn't wait to start spending the rest of my life here. There were houses everywhere-all shapes and sizes, different buildings to represent different things. I was standing next to a large fountain that was contained in stone slabs, and at the top was a quartz platform. But the thing that caught my eye most was the giant castle right in front of me. It was made of tall walls of stone and towered over the village, casting shadows that made everything else look really small. Above the castle were floating houses stacked into the sky, reaching into the clouds. I saw a gold ingot shaped house, a tree shaped house, an axe shaped house… it just went on and on.

Standing before me were people like myself by appearance. I found out later that they were very different from me. Positioned in the middle and point of the slight V shape they were standing in was a man wearing dark sunglasses and a strange gray and black body suit. He had a shining round golden necklace. It had a gold ring engraved with foreign writing and a purple center.

He took a step closer. "Welcome," he greeted me.

I smiled slightly and nodded my head in acknowledgement.

He walked me over to the rest of the people standing in the line. I wondered why these people were separated from the rest. The other citizens had circled the fountain, but there was a tiny circle of space between them and the fountain, leaving room for my greeters.

A man in a gray outfit and purple robes took his place next to me. I watched as he threw purple mist at my feet. Watching carefully, it seemed that the citizens were holding their breath as they saw the mist rise until it was above my head. I looked up, and saw that it had jumbled to form the word, "reporter".

_Interesting. I wonder what this ritual is for._

The spectators began to talk to one another quickly, while I just stood there. Once the noise had died down, the first man asked, "Do you pledge yourself to this village?"

I didn't quite know the customs of this place, but it was as if my mind just told me to say, "I do."

"Then you are now a member of Minecraftia Village."

He jumped up on the stone slabs surrounding the fountain. He reached out his hand. I looked at the hand, then back at him before deciding to take it. He pulled me until I was standing on the slabs with him.

_There are so many people here._

Suddenly, I felt my hand being raised in the air until it rose above our heads. Cheers erupted from the crowd. They were all watching us.

A storm brew. Dark clouds swarmed directly above. I was standing there, wondering what was happening when lightning struck our outstretched hands.

Energy coursed through my body, though there was surprisingly no pain. I felt on fire, like I could do anything in that one moment and no one could stop me.

And then that moment ended. The man let go of my hand, smiled at me, and left.

As I watched these separated people leave, it was as if the rest of my life flashed before me in a single second. I knew that one day I would want to live in one of those houses in the sky. I knew I would want to be one of these people who stand up here and perform the ceremony. I didn't know how I would get there, but I just knew I would somehow.

* * *

**Disclaimers:**

**I do not own Minecraft, or Notch, or Herobrine, or Steve, or the Youtubers mentioned in this story. These include: All the members of Team Crafted, SetoSorcerer, GoldSolace, AshleyMariee, CaptainSparklez, and a few others I can't remember. If I find some I missed, I will put an add-on disclaimer to the end of the chapter.**

**See you next time!**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I stared out the window from my bed. There was an entire wall made of glass so I could watch the sunrise each morning. Although I watched it every single day, I could never get tired of it. Today, I woke up when the sun had only begun to rise, and it was arriving in a burst of red and orange as the black of the night turned purple and disappeared. Shadows from the tallest trees cloaked the village, only to vanish minutes later when the sun reached a different angle. When the last streak of purple had been covered up in blue, I forced myself to get out of bed and stretched to prepare for a new day of doing nothing.

My black boots hit the wooden floor with a creak. My house is cheap because I can't afford any more than that. It is all made of oak and birch wood, and has two small floors; one for my bedroom, and one for the rest of the rooms in my house.

I climbed down the stairs, forcing my eyes wide open to wake up. Besides, it didn't take long for me to realize I was hungry, and that made me wide awake. I could hear some porkchops calling my name from the furnace, pre-cooked and waiting for me.

Ouch! I rubbed my head after bonking it on the wooden boards on the second floor. I glared at the oak block and stepped down the last stair.

I am the reporter class. That means I work every day at the Miner News Station, telling others what had been going on in the village. However, we rarely have anything super exciting and unique to report, so I spend my days standing in front of a camera talking rubbish. This village is fairly anticlimactic. Since there isn't a whole lot of danger, we basically lead the same lives. It's difficult for us to find something really good to talk about in a broadcast at all.

I grabbed some cooked porkchops from my single furnace to the left of the stairs. I didn't feel like eating at the fence and pressure plate table today, so I took my porkchop and ate standing. All my supplies for the day were in an underground area, where I keep my chest locked up for safe keeping. I have a sword in there that I carry around everywhere. It took 5 moon cycles to save up for it, so I really don't want to lose it. That sword took all my money away-I can't afford to buy a new one.

I took the weapon gingerly from the chest. It was made of iron and shined like glowstone. I have treasured this sword ever since I got it. However, it was kind of foolish to buy it. I purchased this sword before I knew that there was nothing to fight. I thought I was so smart by buying the sword so I could protect myself, but turns out I was being naive. It has never used it to fight anywhere but in mock battles at the FunLand. I guess its now just a keepsake to make me feel special, since I am still proud of all the work I went to for the money.

I had my breakfast, my sword, and my pride-I was ready for work.

I shut the wooden door behind me and stepped into the warm sunshine. I stood on the grass for a moment to embrace the sunshine, but something crushed beneath my foot. No! I just stepped on one of the roses I had planted. It took me forever to get the flowers to plant those!

Urg. Not a good start to my day.

* * *

**If you have made it this far, I appreciate a review telling me what you thought! I will read them ALL.**

**The next chapter will be out soon, and that is when the action begins! Stay tuned! :)**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I walked the cobblestone paths, watching Miners start their daily business. Kayurita was placing quartz blocks for yet another mural, and direwolf20 was starting up his factory. The weeds peeking through the cobblestone were worn down from Miners stepping on them. The way to the Miner's News building seemed to be chiseled into my feet because I walk the same way every day. I always pass the castle on my way to work. Today, some of the village VIP's were helping to expand the castle stone bricks even larger than it already was.

The VIP's are the people who run our village. They have a higher ranking than us. They are all respected and looked up to by us, the Miners. The VIPs are responsible for making sure everyone is safe and leading the village. They keep track of all the supplies we have and perform ceremonies. Then there is the Admin, who is the only person in a higher rank than the VIPs. He is our main leader. His name is Steve, and he rarely shows his face to anyone but the VIPs, but we all know all the things he does and sacrifices for our village.

It has been my dream to become a VIP. I have looked up to them ever since I met the current ones on my SpawnDay. They all live in that castle, in the houses stacked above and into the sky. The Admin lives inside the castle.

To become a VIP, one must impress the Admin in some way with their skills. I have trained with my sword every day in hopes to become good enough to show off my skills to the Admin. He never leaves the castle, though somehow he is always watching. He knows when we do something impressive. I have trained too hard for this to die without being a VIP.

The Miner's News headquarters are just a little ways passed the castle. I opened the door.

It was alive for once.. Everyone was running around, busy and frantic. I had never seen these people so active before. What was going on?  
I stopped DjGoldShoes, my cameraman. He and I are really close friends. We met on my SpawnDay, when he showed me around the News building and told me what I would be doing with the class that I have.

"What in Notch's name is going on?" I asked him.

He had two cameras with him, one in each hand. He was looking between them, trying to decide which one to use. DjGoldShoes looked up at me, and I could tell he was frustrated. "We got some action going on." He said as if it explained everything.

"Yeah, I got that far. We have a ton of action going on! Look at everyone!" I was getting even more curious as the pace the Miners were moving at quickened.

"No, you don't get it."

"No, I don't! I just walked in the door! What's going on?"

"We got predictions on the Genorator. Something unusual is going to happen, and we all want to be there to see it!" He set down one of his cameras on the wooden counter, then ran off with the other.

That's it? They get the word that something big _might _happen, and they all go ballistic? The Generator is a machine that keeps track of the motion in the world. It makes predictions on what is going to happen in the future, though it has never been very accurate with its world predictions anyway. Oh well, if there's a chance something great might happen, I want to take it.

I sprang into action. "RedFlower!" I called to the girl in a red hoody across the room. "Set up the film area!" She nodded, abandoned what she was doing, and sprinted off. "Someone get me my microphone! And set up the television! DjGoldShoes!" He had picked up another camera somewhere and was now comparing those two. "Just pick one and let's go! I can't film without my cameraman!"

Miners had now dropped what they were doing and got some sense into them to skip the set up and details and get ready to shoot this morning's news. I went into the recording room. It's a room made of black wool, except for one wall that is a glass window. Parallel to the window is a small wall of iron ore blocks that is behind me when I record. RedFlower had most of the area prepared, but she hadn't gotten the backdrop yet.

Afraid of missing the action, I jumped in to help. I pulled the painting from the chest and placed it on the iron ore blocks. It was a picture of a large hill with a sunset. The sunset was my request. This is a painting of the hill I go to every night to see the sun set.

DjGoldShoes came in the room made of black wool and set up his camera facing the backdrop lit with two hidden torches. Everyone got into position. Here we go.

Oh no! I haven't been given the morning reports. How am I supposed to talk before this thing happens, and what if it doesn't even happen at all? Am I just supposed to ramble for a while?

"3…" DjGoldShoes begins to count off.

"2…"

What should I say? I'm so confused!

"1…"

No! I'm not ready. Someone hand me the reports!

"Action!"

I take a deep breath and try to talk slower than I normally do for the sake of wasting time. "Hey everybody, it's AnnikaCloud here with your daily morning news. It is happening a little earlier today, but this is a very important message, so be sure to grab your breakfast and sit down in front of your TV so you can watch.

"Yesterday, we reported that one of the Miners farmed wheat, but he was not the farmer class. We have confirmed that he is the woodcutter class" at least I know that much, "and he has been caught by our Miners with the policeman classes. Oh, wait, he hasn't been caught? Sorry guys, you will still have to protect your farms until we have further information." Now I know who I am going to be yelling at after this thing is over for embarrassing me on camera. I could feel my cheeks turning pink.

"Umm…" I had run out of things to say! Notch help me!

Suddenly, I felt the ground begin to shake. Oh my gosh. Had the Genorator been right for once? I struggled to stay on my feet and the ground shook harder. "What's going on? We seem to be experiencing some slight shaking in the world. Can you guys feel that?" I felt bad for DjGoldShoes as I watched him suffer as he tried to keep the camera steady.

It was hard to stay standing. I screamed as I was shaken to the ground. Miners around me fell as well.

What's going on? Ever since my SpawnDay, I haven't experienced anything like this… When we were excited for something different to happen for a change, I don't think this is what we had in mind. We just wanted some action! Please don't kill us!

The blocks that formed the walls and the roof begun to unsettle. Oh no. Don't collapse, please don't collapse, we'll all die either from the fall, or from being crushed…

I'm going to die! No! I didn't even get to be a VIP, live out the life I wanted to live. My entire dream flashed before me, and I tried to think of what it would have been like to be a VIP. I wanted to die with happy thoughts, if I had to die at all.

The microphone was slowly rolling away. DjGoldShoes's tripod slid down the room and crashed through the window. I saw the microphone slowly beginning to fall towards the broken glass.

I grabbed for it, gripping it in my hand just before it fell out of the building.

I braced myself for being crushed, but it never came. I found myself shaking less. It was dying down! We'll live!

"It's going away!" I screamed in the microphone, trying to speak over the lasting rumbling sounds.

The shaking had completely stopped now. I gasped for breath, thanking Notch for the fact that we were still alive. Then I remembered there were people still watching. I stood up with shaking legs as I spoke between breaths. "I have no idea….what that was…. but I don't think anything else….really important….happened….like it didn't mean anything….specific….If we find out more….we will-"

My voice was stopped abruptly by a giant explosion. The last thing I remember is an ear blasting sound, screaming, and a blinding flash of light.

* * *

**And now the action begins!**

**AnnikaCloud: What happened to me?**

**Me: You are going to have to wait and find out.**

**AnnikaCloud: But I can't wait! I'm in danger!**

**DjGoldShoes: Annika? Are you okay?**

**AnnikaCloud: DjGoldShoes! Something happened to us!**

**Me: Just wait and see what happens next.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Welcome back! We begin to meet the VIPs in this chapter, and a shady guy is being sneaky...you'll have to read to find out more.**

* * *

Chapter 3

I opened my eyes slowly. I was sore as I lay on the wooden floor. My long brown hair was spread away from my face, and my head pounded from being thrown across the room.

My eyes hurt, and my ears were ringing. Miners around me were beginning to stand, and I decided to stand too, even though I didn't want to.

Millions of questions raced into my head. I wondered why I wasn't blown to pieces from that explosion; I wondered why the building also wasn't destroyed. And none of these questions I knew the answer to.

DjGoldShoes leaped to his feet and ran to my side, lending me a hand to keep my balance. "Are you okay, Annika?"

"Yeah, I'm...fine," I said, trying to act tough. It didn't work. I ended up feeling dizzy. I would have crashed onto the floor again if he hadn't caught me.

"Come on, you need to lie down." He tried to pull me into the lounge, full of wool couches that felt very inviting right now.

But I refused. "No. I want to find out what's going on."

As if perfect timing, the bell tone rang out among the village. It's a short song from a disc, signaling to the village that someone had called a meeting.

In the middle of the village, there was a very large fountain with beautiful sparkling waters that cranes our necks slightly to look at. At the very top of the water is a place that we call the throne. It is made of quartz, and is a large platform that the VIPs get to stand on during a meeting. Anyone can get to the throne, because there is a whole in the floor, so someone could just climb up the water-which takes forever, believe me-and push the button that starts the noteblock song. Usually, it's the VIPs call the meetings, even though anyone is allowed to.

Everyone evacuated the building to head to the center for the meeting. Outside, I no longer felt like embracing the sunshine. After 362 moon cycles that this village has survived, for the first time since the mobs were vanquished, we might be in real danger. I have no idea what that was, but a huge explosion that somehow was able to do no damage to anything can't mean that Notch is coming back from Mojang and is going to give us all cake.

The richer Miners seem to live further away from the fountain so they can have more space to live and less excitement. When walking down the stairs one can see these houses because there was lots of glass. There were wooden ones, houses made of all kinds of gem blocks, and the richest Miners sometimes opted to make theirs out of obsidian. Each house is built to the owner's preference, and is usually built by the owner. Because of this, the Miners normally build their base in a way that represents them. For example, DjGoldShoes's house looks like golden armor boots, because he likes to dance, and his skin has unique bright golden shoes. I am not very happy with my house; I couldn't think of anything I could build that would represent me, so I just made it from plain old wood. I thought about making a sunset, but I couldn't afford the colored wool to make one.

We joined the others at the fountain. It was already crowded, so I had to squeeze my way through the people to get a good view. I looked around frightfully, the others sharing my fear. Some were staring off into space as they thought about the explosion and others were chatting and sharing theories on what had happened and why. Miners that lived farther away were arriving in minecart trains, so we had to move out of the way so the passengers could get off. I growled at a blonde haired boy that punched me out of the way so he could get out, even though I had given him plenty of space. He even took a half a heart away!

I shook off my anger as he walked away and shifted my gaze up at the throne. All the VIPs were almost there, and I recognized all of them. VIP deadlox was the last up because VIP SkyDoesMinecraft kept punching him playfully back down and laughing.

When they were all up there, VIP CaptainSparklez looked at the rest of them. They nodded, and he stepped up to the redstone microphone.

"Attention please," he called. However, the Miners didn't seem to hear him, because they were all talking together, trying to see if anyone knew what had cause the explosion.

"Excuse me."

A few quieted down, but there was still lots of noise.

"SHUT UP please!" Sky shouted.

Dead silence. Everyone listens to Sky when he's angry, because there is no telling what he would do. The lack of sound was eerie, as if we had all realized that there was a chance the explosion might happen again, and we were all holding our breath. Even though the VIPs were trying to hide it, I could tell that they were also all on edge. Everyone was fidgeting. Sky was looking down and fingering his amulet. VIP SSundee was adjusting his glasses, and VIP ASFJerome was smoothing his fur. They were all playing with something.

"It seems we are in a situation of which we have never been before," CaptainSparklez continued, "the possibility of danger."

SSundee took the microphone. "Before, we have all been safe as long as we have been supplied with enough food. Now, we pose a new threat. That...explosion...might have been the start of something new. Something dangerous. We don't know why that happened. It may have just been a fail in some machine somewhere" SSundee focused his gaze off to the right, and I followed it to find that he was staring at direwolf20, our head mechanic. His cheeks turned red as he carefully shook his head "no". As if that was an answer SSundee accepted, he went on, "but because of the fact that it passed throughout the entire world, I don't think that it is that simple. I wish it was, but it can't be."

VIP AshleyMariee leaned in to say one sentence, "Besides, we don't even know if this is a threat. It might be something nice, and we are all fretting over nothing."

I snuffled a laugh. That sounded exactly like something my friend TigerLily might say.

_Where is she, anyway? _I wondered suddenly.

Scanning the crowd, I tried to spot the tiger printed jacket of TigerLily's skin. I couldn't find her.

I saw a flash of purple. It scared me for a moment, until I realized it must just be the purple hoodie of DjGoldShoes. But when I turned around, he wasn't there. Instead, there was a guy with bright purple pants and a black sweatshirt hoodie a few yards away. As if he knew I was looking at him, he turned in my direction. I looked away quickly, but I could almost feel his cold gray eyes linger on me for a moment. Then he shifted away from the crowd, flipped his hood up to cover his face darkly, and walked away.

I peered after him. Where could he be going that was more important than a village meeting?

I decided there weren't many things more important, so I had to find out where he was going. I turned back at the throne. The VIPs had not noticed his disappearance, so I knew they wouldn't notice mine.

* * *

**Not** **a big cliffie, but this chapter used to be 8 pages long so I had to break it up. **

**If you are having trouble picturing the village, go watch "Fallen Kingdom" by CaptainSparklez on Youtube. It's basically based off the kingdom there. The castle is the same, just imagine a giant fountain in the middle and TONS more houses. Plus a FunLand (will get into that later). I am trying to make my own minecraft map of the village. I might post that for download...hmmm...**

**Cya l8ter! :D**


	5. Chapter 4

**Cliffie/foreshadowing alert! Enjoy the chase!**

* * *

Chapter 4

After he was a little ways away, I started after him. My heeled boots didn't help me be sneaky, but there was no time to change my skin. I tried to muffle the _clip,clop_ as they hit the cobblestone road by walking lighter, but I couldn't lose time on him. If he turned a corner, I may not be able to find him.

I zig-zagged between the buildings, catching up to him. Run, duck behind something. Whatever he was doing, this guy looked creepy and sneaky enough to stand out apart from the happy bunch I live with. Maybe he wasn't one of us. Maybe there was a connection between him and the explosion.

He was walking faster now, leading me to places of the village I had never seen before. In this place, the happy houses had also teetered off into buildings made of darker materials. I saw houses with skulls and ones with cobwebs. The warm sunshine seemed miles away now, and I was beginning to feel a chill. I began to feel myself shudder a little as I continued to wonder. Why were these kinds of people in our village? Our Miners work together and the people who built these houses seem like the kind who would murder us all.

Was I following...a murder?

No, stop it Annika. You're more realistic than that. Focus. Think about your village.

Finally looking through my eyes instead of my head, I realized that the shady guy was getting away. That made me completely lose it-all my thoughts were towards catching this guy, and I forgot about staying silent. So I ran.

Either he already knew I was behind him, or he heard my footsteps as I plundered the ground, and he ran. Turning a corner, he disappeared from my sight.

I sped up. But when I turned the corner, I couldn't see him. I looked down streets, behind trees, everywhere. He had just vanished.

Now my heart was beating so fast it hurt. I could hear my breath. Miners don't just vanish. It's impossible. Impossible…

The word echoed in my head. He had either vanished, or he was just a very good hider, and waiting for to right moment to jump out at me and-

I ran.

My ankles hurt from running in heels, but I bolted out of that place like I had seen a ghost. All that mattered was putting as much distance between me and that place as possible. My feet kept bending sideways as they fell in the cracks between the cobblestone. With every step I felt slightly better. Daylight came into view. I was relieved. I am normally the one to sneak up on people, and when it's the other way around, I freak out. That's not the way it's supposed to happen.

When I got back to the fountain, I had begun to calm down but was still shaking. They had just wrapped up the meeting. The sun had passed over head and was beginning to descend back across the horizon. The VIPs swam down the fountains, Miners boarded the minecarts and others dispersed. I finally spotted TigerLily sitting on the rim of the fountain, her hand floating in the water. Probably playing with the fish. She loves animals.

I shook the haunting image of that shady guy from my mind, trying to forget. It wasn't easy.

"Hey Tiger!" I called. She looked up with a blank expression. I walked to her and sat down. The clay slabs were slightly damp from the splashes of the fountain.

"Hi, Annika," she sighed, looking down again.

"So, what do you think is going on?"

"I think that I am just proving my point day by day. The Miners always think of the worst. 'Oh, this could be dangerous', and, 'we pose a new threat'. Come on people! If this turns out to be mean something good for us, you guys are going to feel pretty embarrassed for making a big deal out of it."

"So you think that is does mean something good?"

"No, I know it does. Nothing bad can happen to us. The mobs are turned off, we have plenty of food, and there's only one hill in this land that actually has a way that you can fall off and die, and I still think we should round it off so no one could do that…"

She looked behind her up at the castle. I knew what she was thinking. She wanted to march right up there and ask the VIPs if we could have a build party round it off.

I thought about telling her about the shady guy, but it wouldn't do any good. She wouldn't believe there was evil in this world even if it had a sword to her throat. "But what if it is bad, and we thought it was good? We have to prepare for the worst, because if we don't, we would all die. Why do you think we always have ten times the food we need on hand, and healers even if we don't need them? VIP Setosorcerer never has anyone come into the hospital."

"Relax. You all worry too much. How can you enjoy life if you all think of the worst?" She then got up, spun on her heels and began to walk towards her house. I had a feeling that the dramatic exit was her way of telling me that I had to ponder over her last statement.

Do we really worry too much? I do keep my sword with me all the time, and there's nothing I would need it for. But will it stay that way forever?

* * *

**Winter break! :)**

**This might mean more uploads. I had decided I would post Tuesdays and Thursdays usually, but since I'll be home so much I might get bored if I don't upload more often.**

**Maybe I'll do some editing and add a lot of stuff to allow for extra chapters so I won't run out too quickly. Stay tuned!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I'm back. Sorry for lack of uploads, even though I know I said I would upload more often...yeah, that didn't happen.**

**I would like to wish you all a belated Merry Christmas, and I hope you all had a great time celebrating the holidays! I am very excited because I got a laptop! :) Because of that I will probably write more often.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Later that day, I wandered the streets, thinking. What could this explosion have meant? How could it have been big enough to reach the entire world? But no matter how much I thought, I could not come up with any more answers than I already had.

The sun was about three fourths of the way across the sky, but it was not yet time to head for the hill to watch the evening sunset. I then realized that I was hungry, and I had been too caught up in this mess to think about anything else. All work stations had been closed temporarily, so I didn't have to return back to the building and talk about nothing while my mind wandered elsewhere.

I walked the path back home, the cool breeze brushing my face. Everyone had fled inside to wait out the rest of the day in fear of danger, but I didn't feel like hiding. I wanted to figure out what was going on.

I realized that I just needed to relax and think for a while, and there was nowhere else I should go but the destination I was thinking of. Before I left, I stopped back at my house to eat some food. I took a cake from a chest and gobbled it up quickly, feeling relieved with every slice. This time, I actually did sit down at the table, because I was too lost in thought to be original.

Around the back of the VIP castle, there is a crack in the stone that is just large enough to fit through. A tunnel leads from there to a tiny underground space where there is a tiny window where you can see inside the castle right where the wall meets the floor. I have no knowledge of anyone else who knows about that hideaway. It's kinda of my special place to go whenever I am upset or just need to think, and if I'm lucky, I can spy on the VIPs and sometimes even hear the Admin's voice, though I can never see him.

Heading there now, I figured that would be the best place to be if I wanted to get any information. The VIPs are probably having a conversation right now on today's events.

Looking around to make sure no one could see me, I took in my breath and passed through the stone. Once inside, the pathway widened slightly, but I had to duck down so I could fit down the passageway. It was dark, but I had been through so many times that it was easy to memorize where the rock juts out into the path and where there are cracks in the cobblestone you can trip over.

The light was shining through from the castle the way it always does, and I lit up as I huddled close to the wall and sat down. There were mumbles coming from the other side of the stone bricks, and I wanted to hear them.

"So, lets recap what we already know," someone was saying. It sounded like HuskyMudkipz. "The news was tipped off that something was going to happen, as KidLion223 told me." He was the person who worked the Genorator. "Then, there was a worldquake and a blinding explosion. We have checked the records and this has never happened before, but the old diaries of Notch that he wrote before he left said something about a bright light after the monsters were driven from this land."

The diaries? Those dusty old books have been kept in the secret collection section of the library? They are only consulted when Miners need help from the old ways. Were they really that lost?

"So, are we saying that this has something to do with the mobs?"

"Are the mobs coming back? Is that what's going on?"

"If they are, then we stand no chance. These Miners are from a different generation than the ones who fought the monsters; they aren't trained to fight. We are the only ones who have had any experience in a real battle. The mock fights they do in the entertainment center are nothing like the real heat of battle." That was one voice I did recognize. It was BajanCanadian, the king of PVP. Of course he would know what real battle was like, but he wasn't right about all Miners not being trained to fight. Although it is rare, there are some who train themselves, like me. However, my reason for training isn't about fighting mobs, it's about impressing the Admin so I can become a VIP, like these amazing people.

I heard the sounds of chests opening and closing and the fire of furnaces roaring. They must be eating dinner.

"Well, maybe it isn't quite so bad as the monsters coming back. Besides, how can that happen? The world options are locked up tight in that locked room in the Aether, and the only portal there is down in our dungeon locked with an iron door, and only the VIPs have the password to open it. And don't ask me to accuse a VIP of causing us this danger. You are all my friends and I trust you."

"No, GoldSolace, we are not going to accuse each other. If we start turning on one another, we can't fight this danger because the entire village is counting on their government to figure out what this means and to fix whatever problems it arises. If we break up amongst ourselves, we will surely perish."

So they all think that this is bad as well as every other Miner except TigerLily, and if the VIPs believe it's bad, it must be. But what does it mean for us? How bad is it? What will happen to us?

That was enough for me. I couldn't stay and later find out that even our VIPs can't help us.

I followed the tunnel until I saw the light, deciding it was time to figure out what what going on. I had to know. However, as I stepped out from the stone and onto the grass, I realized it was getting dark. I'd have to go to the library in the morning, assuming work was still canceled.

Near my house is a tall mountain that is the tallest in this world, and it has a perfect view of the beautiful sunset. Every night I go there and sit peacefully as the world goes dark.

I jumped up each block as I scaled the mountain, dodging trees and jumping over gaps to get to a block that was taller. This hill has been hollowed out to make more room for houses. They could have just gotten rid of the hill, but they didn't for some reason and I am glad. There would be no other perfect view of the sunset without standing on the roof of someone's house.

Sitting there, I realize for the first time that this village can't stay 100% protected forever. At some point, life is going to catch up to you, and you had better be ready when it does. For a long time now, I had wished for adventure. Life as a reporter in this world isn't exactly the most exciting thing ever. I want to do something special. Maybe that's one reason why I want to be a VIP so bad-because as a VIP, I'd have access to more adventure than I could have ever had in my lifetime. The VIPs go on special missions, take care of the village problems we may have. And as the sun passed over the horizon in the distance and changed the day into night, I wondered if whatever this danger was would finally be my chance at an adventure.

* * *

**Once again, I hope you all had a great Christmas! (Or whatever holiday you celebrate) Happy Holidays! :)**

**I know for sure that the next chapter will be uploaded next Tuesday as a New Years Eve special.**


	7. Chapter 6

**If this chapter looks new to you (for returning readers) that's because it is. I goofed and skipped a chapter in uploading. I am very sorry and I apologize greatly. Hopefully things will make more sense with this chapter now.**

* * *

Chapter 5

The sun was high in the sky when I headed to the library the next day. It was a large but short building, made of oak wood, quartz blocks, and a glass pattern on the roof. Inside are rows and rows of bookshelves, glowstone patterns in the wooden flooring to keep the place lit. There are not that many windows on the sides because most of the walls are covered in bookshelves, so it is imperative that we get lots of artificial light. In the middle of the library is a set of four enchanting tables next to the check out counter.

I wasn't sure where to start. I hadn't planned anything out, just that I thought I might find something here. I don't normally plan, 'cause ain't nobody got time for that.

I might as well go to all the sections that have anything to do with the war against the mobs that happened over 300 moon cycles ago. Heading over to the section about history, it was easy to notice that the books were quite old. They obviously hadn't been touched in a while. Scanning over the titles, nothing seemed like the type of information to help me. They were all about how we developed our laws, how Notch created the world, how he thought of the VIP system. I was tempted to pull the latter off the shelves and delve into the beginning world when the VIPs were chosen and how it was done, but I forced myself to focus on the present task.

The noteblock rang as the door opened. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw VIP SSundee walk up to the counter. I ducked behind a shelf, curious of why he was here.

They whispered for a moment, then SSundee walked around the counter and down the rows of books. I looked around before sneaking down the path he had taken. I know it's bad to spy on VIPs, but I don't care about the consequences right now. I have to know what's going on.

I gasped as I turned a corner and saw him there. He looked in my direction, but I had all ready ducked around the side of the row. I let out my breath as I peeked through the bookshelves and saw that he had returned to his task.

With a spy watching closely, he placed ladders up a section of books and climbed them until he reached the top. SSundee removed a panel from the ceiling with some sort of key. He disappeared for a moment through the hole before climbing back down the ladder, a set of books in his hand.

They were the Notch Diaries.

Why did they put them back if they were just going to send someone to grab them again?

SSundee left the section and waved politely to the girl behind the counter, who giggled slightly after he had closed the doors behind him.

As soon as he was gone, I was there searching the section below the panel for any books that could help me. Rows and rows of books that did not fit my needs were stuck together in a possibly important section.

There was something shoved into the back, and it was thin and obviously not a book. It must be in the wrong section. I pulled it out. It was a movie. I was about to walk over to the movie section and put it back when I noticed the title: _The beginning of our time; the complete story of how we were created and the struggles we faced to make this village a success._

This was perfect! I do have a TV, so I can watch it. A lot of Miners don't have a television because they are too expensive, but I got a free one from the news station. I walked to the checkout counter immediately without looking at any more books. This was the best possibility, and the sooner I could watch this, the sooner I might get some answers.

There was a friendly looking girl running the counter. I didn't know her very well, because I don't come here that often. She had blonde hair, large nerdy pink glasses, and was wearing a pink tee-shirt and a plaid pink skirt.

"Hi," she said with a smile when I walked up. "What can I do for you, AnnikaCloud?"

How can she know my name, but I can't even remember hers? "Hi. I'd like to check this movie out."

"Okey doke," she took the movie and used a program from a ComputerCraft brand computer to check it out to me. Since she already knew my name, it didn't take that long for her to assign it to my account. "There you go! I hope you enjoy it. It's due in 1 moon cycle."

I took the movie from her, said a quick "Thanks" and turned around to leave. I heard her recognize the Miner who was in line behind me by name as well.

The pressure plates closed the iron doors behind me with a clicking sound.

After that, I went straight home. Sitting on the wooden couch on the first floor, I stared at the TV that was really just a ComputerCraft computer with a program that lets you watch movies.

I plugged in the CD right away. It fired up with a loud boom that scared me and reminded me of the explosion. I jumped and my heart skipped a beat as I shrank back into the couch, but then calmed down once I realized where it was coming from. I caught my breath Hopefully, this movie might give me some answers.

It started out talking about Notch. It said that he was born in another world and soon became the person of highest nobility in our entire Minecraft kingdom. When he was in school, he always got good reports, he always listened, his best subject was survival (yes, the subject that is the whole purpose of the school to teach).

It said his closest friend was named Herobrine, a strange character who had white glowing eyes. They got along well until Notch was appointed Creator. This made Herobrine jealous and he fought with Notch, only to be banished to the Veil, a spirit world that no one but Notch knows how to craft the portal. Herobrine was never seen again, but he sent mobs to the world to fight against Notch's perfect kingdoms that he created. Herobrine crafted new monsters to purge the land, starting with his pride, glory, and his greatest work-Minecraftia Village.

The monsters were a new challenge for the Miners to face. The citizens had only just begun to spawn, so there were not that many fortifications set up yet. They tried to defeat the mobs, but they just kept coming. Soon it wasn't just creepers that came, it was other mobs too. The Miners fought bravely, but they were losing the battle.

Among the Miners, several heroes rose from the bunch. Notch decided they should be put at a higher rank, so they became the first VIPs. The VIPs trained together and built themselves a castle. They built a throne out of diamond blocks for Notch, and gave themselves other houses in the air above the castle.

After the castle was built, Herobrine called all the mobs back to talk to him. He said that the village was getting stronger, so it was now or never to fight back. They declared war.

There was a big battle. The Miners fought back bravely. Some died, some had low hearts but continued to fight. Then, the screen cut to a VIP sneaking away. He went underground and created a portal offscreen. He was the first Miner to access the world options. Then, it showed him altering the world options so that mobs could not spawn. As soon as he did that, the world seemed to freeze. Then, there was blinding light identical to the one I saw. I gasped as the white light flashed across the screen and there was a loud BOOM! The camera cut back to the battle and the stunned faces of the Miners as all the mobs they were fighting just disappeared. They had won the battle.

At the last moments of the movie, they showed Herobrine. He screamed "No!" into the sky inside the white fog of the Veil. The narrator stated that Herobrine could not escape the Veil as long as the world options stayed as they had been set. Then it was over.

The movie ended. I took the CD from the computer, my hand shaking. I now had a lot to think about, but I didn't want to go back to the Castle Underground, because I was so close to figuring out what was going on, or at least coming up with a theory. It was on the tip of my tongue…

Then I realized. This is much worse than I thought. We are all going to die at the hands of a recently escaped Herobrine and his army of undead mobs.

* * *

**~*~Pyromancer out~*~**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

I hoped I was wrong.. It was just a theory. There was a very good chance I was wrong. But all the pieces fit. The explosion was similar to the one we had, Herobrine can't come unless the world options are changed, and the monsters can't come unless the world options are changed, so they might have allowed Herobrine at the same time...

But how could someone have gotten into the world options to change them? They are secured very tightly. A Miner would have had to sneak into the castle, find the hidden portal, go through, find the secret room, break in, change the options and get back unseen. Not to mention they would have to know the passwords to all the iron doors.

What's going to happen to us if my theory is true? How tough are the mobs? Have they gotten more powerful over the time they have been banished in the village? There is certainly a chance that they could be extremely powerful and just demolish us.

I was suddenly so scared I couldn't think. I still felt like I didn't know anything. I had to talk to someone. It wasn't hard to think of who I was going to talk to, since it was the same person I always go to when I'm upset: DjGoldShoes.

He knows me like no one else does, even if he is just my co-worker. Maybe he knows everyone like that, though when I'm with him it doesn't feel that way. We understand each other, as though we are a part of each other. He's a special guy, and he always makes me feel special and important even if I'm not a VIP and only a Miner. There isn't really any other way to explain us than that. We just...fit.

If the village was laid out in groups of certain types of people, then DjGoldShoes lives in the party section of this place. He loves to throw and be a guest at any kind of party. His house has an underground dance floor, along with a separate room where he mixes his own music and puts in on a blank music disc to play at his next party. Sometimes, he has me test out the music he isn't sure of, but I can never say anything bad about what he creates. Every disc he puts in the jukebox I love.

When I arrived at his golden house, I could hear music blasting from the mixing room. He must be working on a new creation. I pushed the button that popped the disc "cat" into a hidden jukebox. That was his doorbell.

I heard footsteps, then the door opened. DjGoldShoes stood in the doorway, his brown hair slightly ruffled, headphones plugged to his ears, and his creeper hoodie wrinkled a little. He looked frustrated at first, because he hates it when people interrupt it when he is messing with his music, but when he saw me his expression changed. Normally, I don't like bargaining in when he is doing this with noteblocks, but this is an emergency. He smiled, stepped back and held the wooden door open for me to enter.

The inside of his house is all decorated with music. Every disc in Minecraft is displayed on a mural on the front wall. The light from a glowstone chandelier was peeking around either sides of the blocks up the middle of the house, marking the middle of the golden boots. The top was his bedroom, and there was a platform hallway with a fence so you could look over the edge at the chandelier and look down at the bottom floor.

"Hey Annika. What's up?" He said, slipping off his headphones and resting them on his shoulders around his neck. His skin is a purple creeper hoodie with black pants, and he has straight brown hair and brown eyes the color of cocoa beans.

I took a deep breath when I realized how fast my heart was beating. "I think I know what's going on."

He closed the door slowly and brought me into the toe of the shoe, which is his living room. He didn't have to ask what I meant.

When he remained silent, I continued. I decided to leave out the castle underground, because that is the one thing I have never told anyone. It's basically my special place. "I went to the library to try and get some answers. There, I found a movie about the first few moon cycles of Minecraftia Village, how Notch rose to power, how we became a village, the mob war, blah blah blah. During-"

"Slow down, I can't understand you when you talk that fast. Catch your breath and then continue, slower." Oh yeah? And how can you be so calm?

"Sorry," I said. Being a reporter got me in the habit of talking really fast, sometimes without even realizing it. Taking another deep breath, I started telling the rest of my story. I explained what the rest of the story in the movie. "There was a big explosion, almost identical to the one we had."

He looked down at the floor for a second, sighing. Then he spoke. "So the mobs are coming back?" It wasn't really a question, more like a statement.

"Yeah, I guess so. It's a possibility. But that's not all. I think Herobrine is coming too."

He looked up suddenly. "Herobrine? I thought he was in the Veil!"

"He is. But if a Miner wanted to add mobs back, then why not add Herobrine too? This guy is probably working for Herobrine, because that man is the mobs' leader. I don't know if Herobrine is coming, but there is a very good chance that he is."

He sighed again, this time louder. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more.. "Have you told the VIPs that yet?"

"I didn't think of telling them. As soon as I finished the movie, and I was so scared I needed to tell someone, so I came here."

"We should tell them. It's important that they get as much information as possible."

"I guess." I sat back in the purple wool chair. "GoldShoes, I'm scared. What's going to happen to us?"

He didn't say anything for a moment. "I don't know, Annika. I don't know." He walked away into the kitchen, not meeting my eyes.

"I mean, I don't want to be right, but inside, I know I am. There isn't really any other explanation. The explosion, the movie. That movie must have been made from past recordings from the Miners News station, because you can't create an explosion like that. How would you even alter a film to have something like that? Even ComputerCraft products can't do that, I don't think."

"You don't have to convince me that you're right. Save that for the VIPs."

"Right."

He had picked something from a chest in his kitchen, but I hadn't seen what it was. He came back to the living room and placed a cake down.

I broke into a smile. "My favorite!"

"Of course. This is a time where we need to cheer everyone up. After all, we may not be here for much longer…"

Wow. Wait to turn a perfect moment really dark all in once sentence. Nice job.

We ate the cake eagerly. Then, I tried to change the subject so we could forget about the danger we were in for as long as possible before he comes and rains terror on our entire village.

Dang it, Annika! Stop thinking about it like that! Channel your inner TigerLily and think optimistically. You can think about how awful it is when it is that awful.

"So what new project were you working on?"

He seemed grateful that I was changing the subject. "I was trying to recreate the music from the song "Revenge". Wanna see?"

I nodded. He led me out of the room and down underground. I climbed down the ladder into the dance floor, which had multi-colored carpet for the flooring and was lit with redstone torches except for the four redstone lamps on the ceiling running on a redstone circuit so they would flash. Right next to the ladder was the entrance to his music room. It had an iron door and was just a tiny room with glass so you could see inside, and only contained a jukebox and a chest with music discs. Then, there was a separate door which led further into the room where he did all his work. There were rows and rows of noteblocks, all with a different song to share. It was so giant that torches were too weak to waste a whole bunch of them and only light a little, so he bought more blocks of glowstone as he expanded the room. It was bigger than it was the last time I saw it, so he had had to expand to make this new song.

I followed him to the new section, where a half-finished noteblock song lay. He stepped aside so i could push the stone button to let it play.

As the notes rang out into the cavern, I sang the words to the song in my head. I knew it by heart. There were a few wrong notes here and there, so I marked them by placing an item frame on the noteblocks that weren't right. It was hard to critique when I felt like I was listening to the real song, therefore getting immersed in the music.

It stopped in the middle with a jolt, and I suddenly realized where I was. DjGoldShoes was looking at me with his head tilted in question. He was waiting for feedback.

"It's amazing, just like all the rest of them. It sounds really close, but these notes over here aren't quite right…"

We worked on his song until the sun began to set. It was a good break from everything that had been going on, just to sit down and focus on perfecting a project and just forgetting about all the other stuff going on. We managed to finish the song completely, all the notes exact, and we were going to record it on a disc together but I had to leave in time for the sunset. I didn't tell him this, because the sunsets were another one of those things that are just for me, so I just told him that I had to go because I was tired, which wasn't a complete lie.

The sun had already started to disappear when I got there. I looked at the streaks of color. Tonight, it was mostly shades of red that filled the sky, without being mixed with orange or yellow. This reminded me of blood, which just made me think of all the blood that would be spilled at the hands of Herobrine. I played with the grass, digging up a few and replacing them.

I jerked around as a flash of lightning cracked across the sky and a deafening scream filled the air, followed by the bell tone soon after. I got up, grabbed my sword which had been laying next to me, and sprinted down the hill two blocks at a time, dropping hearts from fall damage but not caring.

Where is Herobrine? Where is he? I looked around quickly on my way to the fountain, frequently looking over my shoulder in fear. Who had screamed? Herobrine, are you here?

I didn't want to go to a meeting. I wanted to protect whoever had screamed. It was a scream of sheer terror, and we don't hear any sort of screams that often. I knew I had to go to the meeting anyway.

All the VIPs were on the throne by the time I got there. There was still lots of redstone lamp light glow that could be seen from the window of nearby houses; Miners must have rushed out so fast that they didn't even turn off their lights. The place was packed with people, but I didn't bother trying to get a good spot. There were more important things than that right now.

The man next to me was shaking violently, and I realized I was shaking too. I tried to force myself to stop, but my mind couldn't calm down.

AshleyMariee stepped up to the microphone slowly. She whispered something, but we couldn't hear anything but mumbles. She spoke again, in a slightly louder voice as it shook.. "CBcat is...dead. But this isn't any ordinary death. She died in a cruel way."

There were many gasps from the crowd, but I knew what was coming. No one knew of a cruel way to die in this generation.

"She was killed by a person. Well, he's more of an abomination of our kind, so we think of him as a monster. He is against the ways of Notch, and he part of a legend that has been told as a fairy tale, but it is true."

Miners had started to figure it out by now. Some were sitting down just because they couldn't trust themselves standing after this new shock, but others just fainted on the spot.

"We reached her right before she died. She said she looked into the blank glowing eyes and was instantly frozen in fear. He killed her then. She knew who it was though, and she told us right before she died. Class jobs will be closed until further notice. We need to keep you all safe.

"Miners, lock your doors and keep yourself secure, because Herobrine has come for us all."

* * *

**This was a REALLY long chapter for you guys. There are a lot of long chapters for a while, and then they get shorter. Not bad for a New Years Special. Hope you all enjoyed, and if you did, a follow, favorite, and/or review would be much appreciated!**

**BTW I did change my pen name. I was CrimsonNirnroot, now I am PyromancerDragonGirl. Sorry for the confusion that may have caused!**

**~*~Pyromancer out~*~**


	9. AN and apology

**This is an Author's Note and apology.**

I realized that I actually skipped a chapter when uploading.

Did you feel like you missed something when reading Chapters 5 and 6? That's because that was the wrong Chapter 6. I accidentally uploaded Chapter 7 in 6's place. I have fixed it now. Everything is how it should be, I have updated the chapters and they are right now.

I highly suggest that if you haven't already to go back and re-read the end of Chapter 5 and all of 6. It should make a lot more sense now.

I hope you understand how sorry I am. Hopefully I have learned my lesson-I should be more careful in the future.

**~*~Pyromancer out~*~**


	10. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! It's officially a new year now. :P And I'll have to be going back to school soon.**

**We have 326 views. Can we get to 400 before my next upload?**

**Replies to reviews: :D I can do that now since I got my first review!**

**XxXHYpErXxX: I guess I have been slacking on my uploads a little bit. I will try to upload more often, and probably will with my new laptop. However, there is school to consider when it comes. I'm glad you like my story and want to see more! :)**

**WolfyTheMCPlayer: Thank you for understanding and for the complements on my story. It really means a lot!**

* * *

Chapter 8

So I was right.

Even though I already knew, hearing it out loud made it hit me what was really happening. I blocked out all the screams and noise from the others, as all I could think about was that Herobrine is coming. He will bring his mobs and wage war on these people who have never fought anything before in their lives, unless they do the fake fights at the entertainment center. They will destroy us. They will kill us. Herobrine is stealthy, so for all I know, he could be standing right behind me now…

No, he's not. Thank goodness.

***Time skip***

I am in my house one night, sitting down and writing with a quill in my diary. Then, there is a cackle. My house is blown away by an impossibly strong wind, as block by block is torn away from it's place and whipped away. I try to hold on, but I can't. Soon, I'm flying through the air as the cackles get louder. I turn around, my heart racing. A scream fills my ears, and it might be my own. Before me is a pair of glowing white eyes that get brighter as my vision gets black. All I can see are those eyes, those terrifying eyes, as I fall into the blackness.

I sit up in my bed, my heartbeat pounding so hard it hurts. I gasp for breath and thank Notch that that was only a dream. Herobrine is getting into my head.

***Another Time skip***

"Annika? Annika!" TigerLily shouted, shaking me and pulling me out of my daze.

"Wh-What? Oh, sorry. What'd you say?"

"She just asked you how you are taking the news that Herobrine is in this world, but I think that answered her question." DjGoldShoes said, taking a sip from his water. "Annika, I'm worried about you. You haven't been anything like yourself lately. What happened to the brave and powerful Annika I once knew and loved?"

He immediately blushed, though he didn't need to because I had barely heard anything he said. All I could think about was the fact that I might die in the next few days. Herobrine might pay me a visit, and I might be too scared when I look into his eyes to swing my sword, and end up like poor CBcat.

I didn't know her that well, but we had spoken a few times. She was a spirited person. I first met her when we were playing the Capture the Flag in the FunLand. She was skilled with a bow, and a very good sport. Our team lost that game, and she was nice enough to say "GG, you guys did really well. We had no chance." Her skin was a girl in a cat costume.

"When do you think he's coming?" DjGoldShoes asked, turning to TigerLily.

"I don't know. It's been a few days since he killed that Miner. After you told me about Herobrine coming before she was killed, I had hoped he might have changed, or could change from being evil. I thought maybe the spirit world had made him think good thoughts towards Notch. When he came here he had a second chance to change, but he didn't. He just added another person to his kill list. How many more of us will he take before he starts a war, and many of us die all at once?"

"So many things we don't know," I said quietly, "but I don't want to sit around to find out."

"None of us do. We all wish we could go kill him, and then that would be the end of it. However, we must sit and wait. There are too many questions for us to wing it, and Herobrine is way more powerful than the three of us combined. Remember the saying? _Look into the eyes of the vicious beast, be frozen in fear, and there is a flash of his lightning between you and deceased_. He can kill you in an instant if all you do is look into his eyes by summoning lightning."

I didn't want to listen to him. I wanted Herobrine to leave us alone or die, and like I said before: I'm not going to sit around and wait.

More days passed, but still no sign of Herobrine. The tension was rising in the village as people began to realize that that meant that Herobrine was gathering his forces. It wouldn't be long now.

The news of the battle just made me train harder. I probably hit the manikin in my house over a hundred times per day as I tried to prepare myself. However, I knew it was going to be harder than that. A little training can't defeat an entire army.

DjGoldShoes also decided it was time to start training. He bought himself a gold sword from the blacksmith. I stopped by his house often to teach him what I know, and once he had learned the basics I took him to the sparring area in the FunLand. We fought each other, and while DjGoldShoes was learning more, so was I. It was nice to have a skilled partner to practice with.

I wanted to train TigerLily, but she refused to practice something that would lead her to kill. She is very passive, and doesn't even play PVP mini games in the FunLand.

The battle finally came a few days after I had finished training DjGoldShoes. It began with Herobrine talking to the village, but he was nowhere to be seen. Just whispers that echoed down the paths and into the ears of every Miner. At the time, it was a normal day. We had begun to wonder if it was even coming, so we wandered the streets going about daily business. When Herobrine spoke, we all froze where we were at that moment. "This village will be mine." He said.

Then chaos broke loose. Everyone burst through their doors as the mobs spread around the world. Mobs broke down our protective walls around our village and began to attack.

At the time it happened, the full moon was high in the sky and I had been reorganizing my chests in the underground cellar. I had been getting less and less sleep each night, but that night I was wide awake, as though I could feel like something was going to happen. When I heard Herobrine coming, I leaped into action. Grabbing my sword, I rushed out of my house. Something hit me, and I looked around to see a skeleton shooting me. My sprint towards him was interrupted by a zombie, who started to punch me in the face. I quickly finished him, then continued to the skeleton, who was still trying to snipe me.

A Miner boy whacked the skeleton in the head with a stone shovel. Then he stared at me with a proud look.. I gave him a quick nod in thanks, then turned away to help someone who was struggling with a hoard of zombies and only had a wooden axe to defend themselves.

I quickly realized how thankful I was that I worked so hard to get this sword. I was able to help the Miners who had weak tools to fight and possibly save their lives.

I spotted DjGoldShoes over across the village a little ways. He was fighting with several creepers. They all blew up, and surprisingly he survived, though he was low on health. He retreated inside his house, crouching and eating so his health could regen.

Running through the mess, I went in front of his house to protect him while he got his health back up. A spider jumped at me. It squealed as I hit it with my sword. It was hard to keep track of this enemy, because he kept climbing up the wall and then attacking from above. By the time I killed him, my health was also low. I became a "half a heart warrior" as I continued to fight like the heros did in the first war with the mobs.

I had just regened to three hearts when-

"Ahhhh!" I screamed in pain as a skeleton shot me from behind. There was an arrow in my back, digging into me. I was propelled into a hole from a creeper explosion. I struggled to breathe.

_You have half a heart again Annika. Don't die. Not now. Not after everything you've done. Don't die._

DjGoldShoes leaped to my side. "Annika! Are you okay? No! Get away from her, zombie!"

I could faintly hear the groans of the zombie as it drew its last breath.

"Annika! Eat this! Quick!"

That was TigerLily's voice. She set a cake down beside me. I ate it, and immediately felt better.

"Thank…" I gasped.

"It's okay. You can thank me by staying alive."

She stood up and pointed her stone sword at a nearby group of mobs. "Stay back! I don't normally like to kill things, but I will fight to protect my friend."

I smiled. TigerLily, of all people, was going to fight the mobs and keep them from getting to me? Notch help me.

It was as if life came rushing back to me. I felt the strength to stand and fight again, though I wasn't completely healed.

"No, you're not going to fight, Annika. Stay there. I'm not going to fight for no reason." TigerLily looked over her shoulder.

"I have to go help the others. It looks like TheFallenLadybug needs help with that Enderman." DjGoldShoes climbed out of the hole and left.

It didn't take long for me to decide to I wasn't going to stay put. I didn't care what TigerLily said. I couldn't just sit around while the people in my village are dying. I was going to go fight, but then I had a different idea. I snuck away from TigerLily, found a space in our wall surrounding the village that had been blown apart, and exited the village into the unknown forest beyond.

* * *

**Another very long chapter. I probably should have split these up. Oh well.**

**Remember, if you enjoy reading my fanfiction, be sure to follow, favorite, and especially review! I will read all reviews.**

**TigerLily: Annika! How could you leave me fighting? I was only fighting for you you know.**

**Annika: *hehe* Besides, I had to go carry out my plan.**

**TigerLily: And what is your plan, exactly?**

**Annika: Well-**

**Me: SHUSH! Do you want to give away a spoiler for the next chapter?!**

**Both: Sorry.**

**Me: *Huff* Characters. (Disappears in a shower of flames)**

**BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**

**~*~Pyromancer out~*~**


	11. Chapter 9

**Hey guys!  
**

**I have one poll on my profile, and once I close that one I will open another. One is suggesting a prequel to this story, another is whether I should start writing/uploading a new story (though I would still continue with these). It would be very helpful if you could go to my profile and vote. Thank you!**

**Since there is a lot of stuff up here, I will be putting replies to reviews at the bottom.**

**I also have a huge announcement! I have been very excited for this for a long time, but because of requirements I could not do this before now. As being officially registered on the site for one month, I am now a BETA READER! As soon as I saw that there was an opportunity to do something like that, I went and filled out a profile and then just waited patiently (NOT) until I was eligible. If you or someone you know needs a beta reader, be sure to look at my profile! I will be posting on the forums as well in a little bit to say I am available. #iBeta**

* * *

This was my best idea yet. I was going to find Herobrine, kill him, save my village and hopefully become a VIP for my heroism.

I had realized that Herobrine wasn't fighting in the battle, because there were no lightning strikes. He never fights with a sword, so he must be hiding out here somewhere. He wouldn't stand in the middle of a battle and not fight. Herobrine might be powerful, but he's not immortal.

The only problem is that I have not been outside of the village before. No one has. I don't want to get lost. Darn it! I should have crafted a compass before I left. The tall trees made everywhere I look exactly the same. I couldn't even use the moon in the sky to give me a vantage point on which direction I was headed, because the leaves blocked the blue-black abyss from my view. I tried to break a few leaves from where I was standing on the ground, but they were too high up for me to reach.

The world was coated in greens and browns. Most of the trees were oak, though I saw a few with the light colored bark of birch wood. A few vines stretched down from the leaves, and I thought about climbing them to reach the tops of the trees. I decided it was a good idea to at least know where I was headed.

I looked around for the longest reaching tangle of vines. The best one was near a pond, which made it even better because then I could jump from the leaves and not get injured. I stood below the plants and leaped as high as I could with my arms outstretched. My fingers grasped around a strand of the vine, and I dangled in the air as my shoulders were strained. Heaving myself up, I swung down on one arm and then grabbed up higher. Continuing the pattern, I soon made it high enough for my feet to reach a foothold on the vines. I stood on them for a moment, my arms exhausted. Then, once the soreness had gone away, I climbed even higher. Since I could now balance my weight four ways instead of one, it wasn't that tiring.

When I reached the top, my arms still hurt slightly. I crawled on the leaves to the middle of the tree and looked up at the sky. The way I had been headed was straight towards the way the moon was going to disappear and start the day. An easy way to track my progress.

Wait...what was that? I saw a space with no trees about a hundred blocks away. Was it a clearing? Circling the spot were tiny purple sparkles. What was over there? Only one way to find out.

I cleared a hole in the leaves and jumped down through it into the water pool before setting off to the clearing.

I hadn't been walking long before I heard footsteps squashing the tall grass sounding behind me. I froze and whipped around, afraid of what I would find.

There was nothing there but more trees.

_No, Herobrine. Don't play that game with me. Don't do this._

I continued on my journey, occasionally looking behind me to check and make sure nothing was there. Once, I looked around a tree and saw a creeper staring at me. He started to walk forward, but I killed him before he could blow up and alert everything in the area that I was there.

I searched until dawn began to appear, but still no luck. I had circled the outskirts of the village, or at least I thought I did, since I didn't know where I was. Giving up had grown into a very big possibility by this point. I was going to head back when I suddenly hit the large clearing.

It wouldn't be anything special but a clearing if there hadn't been a glowing purple thing outlined by ten black blocks in the middle. The same purple sparkles I had seen earlier came from it. I had never seen anything like it before. I began to sneak closer and look, but I heard voices and ducked behind a tree.

"Master, we lost the battle." said a voice I didn't recognize. It was the panting voice of someone who had just been fighting. I wanted to peek and see who it was, but I couldn't risk it.

"What? How could you?"

Whoever those people were that were standing in the clearing could probably hear my heart beating. The second voice was the echoing whisper of Herobrine.

"They were stronger than we anticipated."

_Hah! Take that!_

"Well then-"

A cold hand clasped over my face. I tried to scream, but it was useless. I was shoved into the clearing, tripping as I was tossed forward. I couldn't break free. The purple thing was coming closer and closer, and suddenly I was ducked into the colored mist. My vision swirled, and it began to get really warm really, really fast.

* * *

**A good cliffie, huh? Have you figured out where she is going yet?**

**WolfyTheMCPlayer: Thank you for staying with the story! I'm glad I have an occurring reader. I don't think it's bad, as long as you don't regret it and your friend likes being a fan. I guess it would depend on how _much _of a fan they are and how they act about it. Lol I'm taking the question way to deeply, aren't I?**

**May life bring you cookies!**

**~*~Pyromancer out~*~**


	12. Chapter 10

**And you thought the last chapter was a cliffie... (laughs evily)**

**Can we get this story to 500 views? That would be amazing!**

* * *

I woke up in a really hot place that smelled of rotting flesh and moss and made me cough. I was surrounded in stone and one wall had iron bars and an iron door. Outside of the bars was a long hallway dimly lit with torches placed on the ground every few blocks. There was no additional light in the cell other than that which trickled in from the torches. There were other cells across the two block mossy brick hallway, but all they contained were the skeletons of Miners, which made my eyes water in sorrow.

I sank down onto the floor. Even the ground was really warm. I had no idea what this was or how I got here. So many things I didn't know in life. The more I thought of that fact, the more it made me angry. Why can't things be really simple?

Sitting there, I began to get thirsty in the thick, hot air, though no one came to give me food or water. I was just a lone prisoner.

Not long after, a tiny light appeared from the end of the hallway. Then footsteps. Soon, there was a villager creature standing in front of my prison, but he wasn't like the ones I saw in the few books I had actually read. This one looked like a villager, except it had the green skin of a zombie and red eyes. It gave me a creepy feeling, as though I was not where I was supposed to be. Is this a creature I should know about?

"Master wants you." He spoke in a deep, slightly raspy voice. **(A/N think of the villager voices from the Youtube animation "Villager News")** He unlocked the iron door on my cell with a lever that was on the wall separating me and the cell beside mine. "Move it! Don't keep him waiting. Master doesn't like to wait."

He prodded me with a sharpened wooden stick tucked between his hands, and it knocked me backward into the opposite wall. My shoulder ached as I dropped a half a heart.

We followed the path that was laid out by torches, getting closer and closer to the lighted maroon brick staircase at the end. Wait, there's only one place where those blocks are used …

We climbed up the spiral staircase. It was longer than expected, and it just increased the tension of what I would see at the top. I couldn't see any more of the building I had been put in until we reached the top.

The walls reached high into the sky, with fancy mixes of stone brick and the maroon bricks, then they spiraled together to form the roof. There were different paths everywhere, and the walls stretched many blocks in every direction. There were no actual doors, just outlined holes so you could see all of the room next to you without even stepping foot inside it. The heavy air had thinned slightly, and I breathed it in. It was so much better than the rotten flesh stench that had filled my lungs.

I looked behind me and was able to get a glimpse of a throne similar looking to pictures of the Admin's Throne in the VIP castle, only this one was made of blood red blocks. Who would think they have the authority to sit on an official throne in a gigantic castle like this, other than the Admin or Notch himself?

I was only able to catch a glimpse of that throne before the villager hit me again. "Go out there." He said, nodding to a giant opening the size of its own wall up ahead. The hole led to a drawbridge that crossed to the world outside. I didn't need to look to guess where I was. I had crossed worlds.

I was now in the Nether. The one with netherrack hills and is only lit by glowstone, that has soul sand that practically stops you in your tracks. Lava pools replaced the ocean, causing that hot and stickiness I felt in the air. It was like I was in a giant cave, but I wasn't. I was in a whole nother world, and very far from home and safety.

But who was the Master the villager spoke of? The Admin is the only real "master".

I walked to the stone drawbridge. I was about halfway to the end when saw a man standing with his back to me. Beside him was a tamed ocelot that sat obediently at his feet, eyeing the raw fish that was dangling from the man's hand, just above its nose. The man tossed the fish away, and the ocelot raced after it eagerly. Then he turned around completely, and I saw his face.

There, standing before me, was Herobrine.

* * *

**Did I just blow your minds with this cliffhanger? Do I do good? ;)**

**I still need answers to my poll, and I haven't gotten any beta requests yet... (sad face).**

**Oh, and I have decided that I upload too often, so I am going to space it out to only a maximum of 2 chapters per week.**

**Hope you all enjoyed, and if you did, be sure to follow, favorite, and review!**

**~*~Pyromancer out~*~**


	13. Chapter 11

**Sorry for not uploading, I lost track of stuff because I was focused on getting rid of my writer's block for The Labyrinth... (BTW, if you are one of those people who read both of my stories, I am happy to announce that I have cured my writer's block disease and a new chapter will be coming soon.)**

**WolfyTheMCPlayer: If you do want me to beta for you, please reply to my PM. Thank you!**

* * *

He just looked at me.

I tried to avoid looking in his eyes. The stories were true: Herobrine's eyes really do emit a white glow around them.

After standing there for a while, he began to walk to me, the ocelot in his arms. I wanted to walk backward, or turn and run, but I decided to be brave, like a Miner should be. My rule is "Hide your fear and stand strong to let the enemy know you are not weak."

Then, he was two blocks away from me. I could feel the rumbling from the cat as he stroked it and whispered strange foreign words to his pet. I decided closing my eyes would make it easier to control myself. He spoke to me very slowly and coldly, and I wasn't quite sure if he was actually speaking out loud, or if he was talking to me in my thoughts.

"I don't need to cage you here. You know what I am capable of; you won't run."

Where was my sword? They took my sword!

"Why do your Miners fight? They can't win. You might have won our last war, but my life in the Veil gave us time to get stronger. We will kill you now."

"Why do you want to kill us so bad?" I managed to stutter.

"Do you not know?" His voice got slightly louder, as though he had come closer. "Because I hate Notch."

"Yeah, I got that far."

"So you do not know _why _I hate Notch. Well, he was always the know-it-all. Just had to show off. He hated me because I was not like him, so I hated him back. He never changed. When he was older, even working in the world of Mojang was not good enough for him. Nothing was ever good enough. Notch just had to have something to brag about. Because of that, he created your village. Because he was so proud of his work, he made more worlds, but his best one was always his first. Once I take over your village, I will be able to complete my revenge.

"But enough stories. What shall we do with you?

"You are only as valuable as people know you are, so if I killed you, nothing would really happen. Your village would not know that they have lost the very vein that will keep them all fighting until their death comes chasing up to them."

I'm not _that_ important.

"But I know how valuable you are."

Valuable? What is he talking about?

"I am not going to ask you to join my side. I am sure you would have predicted that."

Now he was so close that I could almost see the glowing of his eyes, even with mine closed. It wasn't only a battle of words between me and Herobrine, I was also struggling to control my fear. I cannot give in now. If I get too scared, what would happen to me? He would kill me for being a coward, or throw me into the lava while he stood by and laughed. I had to stay strong.

"I am going to make you _want_ to be on my side."

_Yeah, right! What makes you think I would join you? _

He paused before continuing. "Do you ever wonder why they have not made you a VIP of the village yet? With all the...talent...that you have in swordplay, do you not think it would be better that someone put your good skills to use? Instead of just being ordinary, don't you want to be special? Because I can make you special. You would have a place of honor by my side, so long as I was positive that you would not turn on us. My brothers would accept you quickly as high authority, and you might even get to train them."

_Higher authority...that sounds great. Wait, what am I saying? Am I actually _considering_ his offer? I can't believe myself! This is not going to happen. The Admin has not made me a VIP because he doesn't know of my skills. He will someday. And I have to believe that._ "You think I would _train _your army to kill my own people? You think I would join you?"

"You want to be on the winning side, of course. So once you see my army fight, you will want to fight side by side with your soon to be fighting brothers."

"I have already fought your 'army'." I spat the word as though it meant nothing. "They are pathetic. You will lose, and I don't want to be on a losing side. I would rather fight beside my own kind."

He laughed, and the sound of his scary laugh made a chill run down my spine. "You think that's my army? Those were the weak ones I sent out so I wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. Besides, I needed to send the message that I was coming."

"Either way, you will still lose. No matter how much you train those mobs, they will still be weak. You are weak too, Herobrine. You are a coward. Fight me! Fight me to prove that you are the best! Whether you choose to fight or not, you will still die in the end. And I promise you, it will be me who kills you! ME! I will kill you for the sake of my village! I-"

I was furious when he cut me off. He called for his guard, who took me away. I struggled violently, and actually managed to break free. I ran for Herobrine, but the guard shot me with an arrow in the leg and stopped my plunder. **(A/N XD Skyrim reference, make sure to put in the review section if you picked it up XD)** He took me and threw me in my cell to sit alone for another long day.

I was very lonely in the prison, as I was put to a strict no food diet. Hunger stabbed at me as I sat against the wall in the corner, my head on my knees. No one came by into the prison. It was just me and my iron barred jail.

After staying in the cell for a few days, I was so hungry that I began to lose health. I cried out in pain, though I knew it was no use. Of all the ways to die, I wasn't going to die a hero, or dying courageously in battle. Instead, I was going to die in a stupid cell underneath Herobrine's castle in the Nether.

"Shut up!" a zombie villager guard answered my cries.

I kept on screaming as hunger forced me into pain.

The villager walked down to my cell. "You shut up or I swear I'll come in there and-"

I flashed red as my health was damaged again.

"She's dying!" He yelled. A rush of villagers came down the hallway.

Are they really going to feed me now? Do I want them to? Would it just be easier to stay here and die, rather than be kept alive, but still on the brink of death?

I decided I was going to refuse the food. It would be easier to die.

Then I smelled the cooked fish. The smell made me hungrier, and that took over my mind. I lunged at the villager, who had poked the fish through the iron bars. Grabbing it with wide eyes, I gobbled it up quickly. It tasted like the most delicious thing I had ever eaten. I felt the life rushing back into me.

The villagers tossed in another food item: a golden apple, then left me again. I shrank back into the corner.

That made me think of DjGoldShoes. Was there a way I could send a signal to him, so he could come and rescue me? Would anyone come for me? Do they even know I'm gone? I'm sure DjGoldShoes and TigerLily notice I'm not there, but could they convince someone else? Would I ever leave here?

Then I pinched myself-hard. _Annika, what are you talking about? Are you stupid? You don't get rescued, you rescue yourself!_

That never happened. I never wished for someone else to rescue me, okay? It. Never. Happened.

So then I began to devise a plan that would get me out of this cursed place.

* * *

**I'm pretty proud of this chapter. I like how it shows AnnikaCloud's rage for Herobrine. :)**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed. If you did, be sure to slap dat follow and favorite button with your forehead (XD), and also leave a review!**

**May life give you cookies!**

**~*~Pyromancer out~*~**


	14. Chapter 12

**What's up guys? You guys are lucky-you didn't have to wait long for the next chapter. ;)**

* * *

My plan was perfected, and I was going to break out of there, just as soon as a guard was baited into the trap.

I screamed, like I had done the day I almost starved to death.

"Not again!" I heard the guard call. He walked down the hall, coming to find me in my cell. However, I wasn't in my cell. Or, at least, he thought I wasn't. I was hiding in the shadows of the front wall, as close as I could to the bars without being seen.

"Hey, where'd you-" He started as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. But I was behind him in a second. Before he could alert the other zombie villagers, I took my golden apple and gave it to him, silently hoping my theory was correct. I remember seeing somewhere that golden apples cured diseases. It was all I could hope that this green villager was just suffering from a disease. I knew it was a stupid idea, to rely on a guess. But it was my only hope.

Nothing happened. My heart beat faster and faster and I could feel my eyes widen. It hadn't worked! They would kill me! The guard turned around and growled at me, bearing his teeth. I froze, afraid to move. Then, there was a small flash of light, and when it cleared, the once-green creature turned back into a villager.

I heaved a sigh of relief, resting my hands on my knees as my heart rate turned back to normal. The only part of my plan left up to chance had been complete.

But there was no time to lose. The other guards would know I had escaped soon. I punched the villager until he died anyway. It would boost my chances of slipping away if there was nothing unusual to investigate in my cell.

Slipping out of the cell, I snuck down the hall. At the opposite end of the stairs was a table and chairs where the guards had taken turns sitting with me to make sure I didn't escape. There was a clock above the right chair. Right now was what would be daytime in the village, so there was only one guard on duty, the one I had killed.

There was a chest next to the table. I didn't want to take more time than I had, but I didn't have enough self-discipline to not look inside. I opened the chest, and as soon as I did, I thanked Notch that I had. Inside was fish, porkchops, steak. But the best part was that my sword was in there.

I can't get caught now. I can't get caught now. I almost lost my sword once, I won't lose it again (and if I did get caught, I'd probably die).

I tried to carefully tuck my sword into the sling across my back, though I ended up putting a small snag in my white pirate blouse. Once I had finally got it settled, I continued to sneak up the spiral staircase, This would be one of the hard parts, because I will be completely exposed once I reach the top.

I surfaced, my heart pounding again. There was a guard pacing the front of the castle, but I did not see anyone else. Thankfully, this castle is very dark. I bolted for a corridor where I could hide. I still had to find another one of those purple things that would take me back to the village, and I still didn't know where it was. It could be in this very castle.

I raced down the nether brick hallway, pressing against the wall every time I thought I heard a noise, only to realize that once again, it was only my own footsteps.

I was about to reach the end, when I heard mumbles coming through the iron door to my left. Afraid they would see my through the holes in the iron, I ducked against the wall right before the door. I could hear what they were saying.

"What do you want me to do next?" The same voice I heard in the clearing. My best guess was that he was the shady guy I had seen at the meeting. The voice was that of a human's, and all the humanoids in this world are in our village.

"Close the portal. We will find another way to get there." That was Herobrine.

Oh no! I didn't know what a "portal" was, but I had a pretty good guess. They can't get rid of it! How will I get home?

"Yes Master. I will go now."

"Wait. I have something else for you to do."

"What is it, Master?"

"Prepare and double the forces. We are going to start a war."

"Already, sir? It's only been one battle."

"Do not question me. Do it. NOW!"

A war? Did I hear him right? There is going to be a war? And he is going to destroy the portal...I have to warn my village!

There were footsteps that kept getting closer and closer. He was coming!

I ran for it.

Racing down the hall, I knew I had to get away—fast. I couldn't waste any more time. If I did, I would be stuck here forever, and my village would not be prepared for the attack. I may be the only one who knows.

I pounded down corridors and around corners, fearing what might be lurking around them until I turned and was relieved that there was no one there. At this point, I didn't care how much noise I was making, but I began to hear more and more angry voices shouting behind me.

After running for a while, I still hadn't found the portal. I passed another corner and saw the large door of the castle. All I had done was run a giant loop.

I stopped, feeling defeated. Then I heard the villagers behind me. _Just keep running!_

I noticed the guard was gone from the door. I hoped that he was now chasing me instead of guarding as I shifted gears and headed for the door. Maybe if I went out I time, I could go and become lost in the hills of netherrack until they gave up looking for me…

As soon as I flew out the gate and across the bridge, my entire plans changed as I saw a skeleton and the portal to the right and up the hill. He had placed TNT around it, and had a redstone torch in his hand.

"NO!" I screamed. The skeleton turned and looked at me. His eyes narrowed as he smiled a scary smile. I almost could feel the thoughts running through his head, _"I won't destroy the portal. I will let her run through, and then the guards can chase her through and kill her. Once they come back, then I will blow it up."_

But I had other ideas.

When I got to the portal, I pushed down the skeleton and grabbed the redstone torch from his bony grasp. I lit the TNT and leaped into the purple mist.

* * *

**If this every got turned into a minecraft animated movie, those last few paragraphs would be ****so epic!**** As I was writing this, I imagined it as an animation and tried to describe it from my head as best as possible.**

**Thank you all for reading, hope you all enjoyed. If you did, please follow, favorite, and leave a review down below. I love to read new reviews!**

**May life bring you cookies! (:W:)**

**~*~Pyromancer~*~**


	15. Chapter 13

**I know I say this every chapter, but this one is really long. A lot happens. We left off with Annika leaping through the portal after hearing about Herobrine's Plan.**

* * *

I had so much momentum that I ended up flying out of the portal and landing on the ground. A millisecond later, there was an explosion as the portal blew up behind me. I tried to cover my head with my arms from the flying blocks, but its square shape prevented me from protecting much. A dirt block was uplifted and bonked my foot. I cringed in pain, but the stinging soon went away.

When the TNT had ceased, I twisted around to see a crater behind me. Dirt had been tossed around as the explosion left a dent in the world. The portal had disintegrated.

_I'm alive, and I'm in Minecraftia again! Goodbye, Nether!_

My head was slightly fuzzy, but I forced myself to stand. I had to get back and warn my village before it was too late. Herobrine could attack any second, and the shady guy could be helping him do it. He had to be stopped.

I decided that the best way to get back was to go in the opposite direction of the portal until I hit the village wall. Then I would follow the wall until I reached an opening that I could get through. It was beginning to get light out from what I could see peeking through the trees, but I saw no vines around to climb up.

I ran through the forest, though my vision would only focus on one thing at a time, and I found it difficult to focus on anything at all.

"Oof!" I exclaimed as I ran into an oak tree. I shook off the pain and continued on. I was thankful I was even alive, but there was no time to waste in appreciation. Time was running out.

I tripped as a piece of tall grass caught my foot. I yelped as I landed on the squashed grass. _Wait. How did that grass get squashed like that?_

I looked ahead at ground level and noticed that there was a clear path back into the trees, zig-zagging and ducking behind trees. That was my path! I'm going the right way.

More encouraged now that I had got my bearings, I ran faster.

I finally hit the stone wall—literally. My perception was off, and it seemed further away than it really was, so I ran into that, too. I was getting pretty beat up just trying to get back to my village.

It didn't take long for me to find an opening, though I could tell that the Miners had worked to patch up a little of the wall. Some of the blocks were slightly off, and I knew it hadn't been like that before.

I jumped over the block at the ground level in the hole and ran. Down the streets, dodging villagers and houses. I had one place in mind, and one place only.

If it was a normal day, this next act would be the one of the best honors of my life. However, since this is not a normal situation, it felt almost as if it was something I do often.

I swam up the waterfall of the legendary throne. This will be the first meeting I've called, and will probably be the only one.

When I reached the top, I climbed onto the quartz blocks. I lost concentration for a moment and ended up staring out at the village. This place had a great view, almost as great as the one on the hill. Though with the one on the hill you can't see the people going about their day, from the throne you can see everyone. _One day I will be up here as a VIP._

I tore myself away from my daydream and turned to the stone button. I pressed it once and a noteblock sound filled the air. There is a jukebox, and the button deploys a disc into the jukebox so that it begins to play. I remember the mechanic, direwolf20, telling me that once.

Miners began to gather around, many looking slightly annoyed that they were being interrupted in their work again. Others looked up at me and whispered silently to one another. I saw most of them had injuries from the recent battle. I saw a lot of scratches spread throughout this clearing. If this was only Herobrine's weak army, how would we survive against the more powerful one?

Then I saw the VIPs traveling up the fountain, one after another. First Sky, then deadlox, then SSundee, then TrueMU. They just kept coming as the rest of Team Crafted and a few other VIPs took their place on the throne. Except…SSundee wasn't there. Oh well. He could be really busy.

_I am standing next to the greatest heroes in the history of our time._ I told myself, struggling not to loose control.

When the clearing was filled, I began my warning.

"I have been to a place that we were not even sure existed." I said, startled by how loud my voice sounded. "We have proof of the Veil, but the Nether has never been discovered by any of us. It is no longer a myth. There is a Nether, and Herobrine has taken a liking to it in his new more human form. There is a giant castle he has built. I was taken prisoner through the portal and thrown in his dungeon. While there, I overheard him talking to one of his minions. They are starting a war with us, as well as doubling and reinforcing his army. They will attack, and unless we are prepared, we are doomed." I wanted to tell them about the shady guy, but I could not spot him in the crowd and they would have asked me to point him out. Besides, I had no proof that that voice belonged to him—I hadn't heard him speak before.

Someone shouted out from the crowd, "You liar! There's no way all that could have happened in such a short amount of time. I saw you; you were fighting in the battle! You can't have done all that and come back only a half a day later. We only just finished winning the battle a little while ago!"

"What? Only a half a day later...but I was gone for days…"

"You can't have been gone for days." CaptainSparklez said softly. "I'm sorry, but your story cannot be true."

"Why did you waste all our time to tell us a fairy tale? Our houses have been destroyed and we have wounds to clean! Haven't we suffered enough?" Another Miner called out.

"Wait, guys! Maybe she is telling the truth!" DjGoldShoes yelled.

"Oh sure, of course _you_ stand up for her!" Someone snapped. I didn't know who it was, but I could tell from the look on DjGoldShoes's face that he knew, and someone he didn't expect to turn on him.

"Stop!" I yelled. "I swear, I'm being honest! Maybe time runs differently in the Nether! That would explain how it was days for me, and only hours for you. That would also show how he was able to build an entire castle in a short time after he was released from the Veil!"

But people had already begun to leave. My last desperate call to try and get them to listen to me had failed. Even some of the VIPs had stepped into the hole of streaming water from the throne.

"I might believe you if you hadn't said you were in there for days, but your story doesn't prove anything. Don't waste our time, Miner." HuskyMudkipz growled at me.

I wanted to jump in the void and never return. I was just trying to warn my village, but instead now everyone thinks I'm crazy.

I was surprised when BajanCanadian took the microphone from me and began to talk. "People of Minecraftia, what is our motto? 'Be _over _prepared'. So even though I may not know if I believe her story or not, it is certainly a possibility that Herobrine will start this war as soon as possible. We knew from the start that there was going to be a war, the only question being 'when?' So is this really any different, just someone telling us that it's coming sooner rather than later?"

I almost wanted to hug him.

"So let's become prepared. Since all class jobs have already been halted, we might as well do some work while we wait. We will dig an evacuation tunnel from the middle of the village that will lead to a completely different and native part of this world. That way, if things get really bad and they take over our village, we will have an escape route where we can get out and start a new life with the survivors."

_Survivors? I guess I never thought of it like that. We may have gotten out of the first battle with no deaths that I know of, but how many will fall in the war? How many will never return to the homy atmosphere of Minecraftia Village?_

_ I am going to fight like I have never fought before. I am going to keep my village from having to abandon their home._

Although BajanCanadian stood up for me, the villagers had not been swayed. They glared at me and shouted at me as I tried to walk home. It made me feel empty and alone. After attempting to block out the noise, I gave up and ran back home, tears clouding my eyes.

When I got home, I noticed they had rebuilt it from the damage it occurred in the battle. I slammed the door behind me and ran upstairs, falling to my knees in tears. I looked down and saw the infinite water pool I have in my bedroom floor in front of me. I looked at my reflection to see my face all screwed up from crying. My silk pirate blouse was wrinkled and battered. It has no straps on the body. Instead, it has small sleeves that come right about at the middle of my arm, exposing my shoulders and my wrist and hands. I wear short black shorts, with white buttons and a strap hanging below the shorts in a curve. My boots come up just below my knees, are black, and have white laces.

Through the pool, I could see my hair. The brown locks were scattered from all I had been through after the last time I was home: the first battle, a dungeon in the Nether, and dashing home, escaping from the crowd. The tips of the loose curls brushed the ground, picking up more dirt and grime.

My purple beret was still stationed in place, thanks to my square shape.

And then I saw my eyes. The beautiful violet eyes I have were now red from my tears.

Then I realized how weak I was acting. I don't let myself cry normally, because it shows weakness.

I heard the door open and close. "Go away!" I yelled.

They came up the stairs anyway. I turned and saw who it was. DjGoldShoes was standing there. He came over and pulled me into a hug without any words. He didn't need to say anything, and I was thankful for his company.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"They were awful. I believe you."

"I know."

* * *

**I also have a little treat for you in the next chapter. Make sure to check back regularly to see if I've updated!**

**Thank you all for the support you've given me for this story. I really appreciate it. And if you are a new reader to this story, please Follow, Favorite, and Review!**

**If you like this story, please check out my other one (which is also a Minecraft FanFiction), The Labyrinth.**

**~*~Pyromancer out~*~**


End file.
